Features
Shelton Wirasinha, the Bard of the Wesley Manor
(24 Nov 1923 – 24 Nov 2023)
by Kumar de Silva
With his 21-year tenure as Principal of Wesley College from 1962-1983, Arthur Shelton Wirasinha goes on record as being the second longest serving Principal of the College after Revd. Henry Highfield. A product of Richmond College, Galle, he touched the hearts and lives of tens of thousands of students who passed through the portals of Wesley College. This article which celebrates the man on his 100th birthday today, is extracted from the inaugural Shelton Wirasinha Oration delivered by well-known media personality Kumar de Silva, one of his grateful students.
Shelton Wirasinha was born on 24th November 1923 in a house at the foot of Richmond Hill in Galle. His father was Lionel Wirasinha, a draughtsman in the government service and his mother was Letitia, a teacher.
The Wirasinhas kept a simple home with a large garden full of wild flowers, which played home to a large variety of birds. They were proud of their two boys – Arthur Shelton and his older brother Victor Lloyd, who went on to become a brilliant Civil Servant.
The four-year old Arthur Shelton began scrawling his ABCs and 1,2,3s at Richmond College under whose portals he was later to pass as Prefect, Senior Prefect, Teacher, Headmaster, Vice Principal and Principal. His meteoric rise at College was punctuated by successes in almost every field.
He was the indefatigable chorister, debater, dramatist, scout, athlete, musician, cricketer and scholar. A keen sportsman, he excelled in cricket, track and field events, basketball and tennis. He was also a very eloquent speaker.
His easy stride in the academic sphere was crowned when he was awarded the College’s much-coveted Darrel Medal for the Best Student.
His school career was tempered by the inspiring influence of Principals like the Rev. Alex Sneath, Rev. John Dalby and, my own paternal uncle, E. R. de Silva.
Offering English, Latin and History, he passed with an Upper Second for his Bachelor’s Degree and did two brief teaching spells at St. Anthony’s School, Rakwana and St Peter’s College, Colombo. 1947 saw Richmond College proudly welcome one her illustrious products as Vice Principal.
Five years later 1952, he was awarded a scholarship and left for Birmingham, UK where he read his MA in Education. Returning to Galle, he assumed duties as Principal of Richmond. This was his crowning glory. Then came 1961 and it was time for him to leave Richmond and take over the reins at Wesley.
Wesley College 1961-1983
It was mid-December 1961. The unmistakable Christmas chill was in the air. The wind howled through the cypress trees at Karlsruhe, geographically the highest point in Colombo as the Wirasinhas drove up the drive to the 101-year-old Karlsruhe House (once owned by Charles Ambrose Lorensz) which solemnly awaited its new occupants – Shelton, Manel and the three-year-old Dushy.
He was to preside over the destiny of Wesley and charter its course for 21 years. It earned him the title – Bard of the Wesley Manor – which I think suited him perfectly. He was with no doubt THE quintessential Bard of the Wesley Manor.
Early recollections
My early recollections go back to 1968, to Grade 01. There was this big burly man striding in military precision through the corridors which boomed with his stentorian tone. We were petrified of him and fled when we saw him.
ASW – the Teacher of English
My fear of him gradually subsided and I went into the higher classes. I was the only one in class offering English and French and German. I was first in class. I was last in class. If I cut classes or cut school, I got caught. I was the proverbial arecanut caught in the nutcracker.
Shelton Wirasinha’s forte was literature – drama, prose and poetry. My English lessons with him were the two periods just before the interval. His office was what is now, the current Principal’s Secretary’s office. There was no air-conditioning and so the doors were wide open. He always sat by the door and backed the College Office. I always sat with my chair half in the doorway and backed the office. No one saw our faces.
Shelton Wirasinha
Shelton Wirasinha got passionately and deeply involved in the literature and poetry he taught. He had this fascinating capacity of bringing characters to life. He almost made them tangible, living, breathing human beings.
And so with Leonard Woolf we went through the deep and evil forest that surrounded the village of Beddegama …. with Wordsworth we wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills … with Walter de la Mare we held our breath and observed – Slowly, silently, now the moon, Walks the night in her silver shoon; This way, and that, she peers, and sees, Silver fruit upon silver trees; … with John Keats we saw Autumn sitting careless on a granary floor, her hair soft lifted by the winnowing wind“…and with Shakespeare we helplessly we saw the Othello the Moor “put out the light put out the light“.
I remember he used to get into an absolute rage when portraying the moments as Iago poisons Othello’s mind … his voice rising in a crescendo, almost screaming, he would ‘become’ the enraged Othello.There I was enjoying the performance while the entire office went dead silent, staff stopped work and stared, open mouthed – they thought I was getting blasted to smithereens by the Principal. No, I wasn’t. Such were the multi-dimensional English lessons with Shelton Wirasinha. To him it was sharing of knowledge and not teaching it.
Interval
He was so passionately and deeply engrossed that he never heard the interval bell ring. I heard boys playing and shouting outside but he never did. How on earth could I say “Sir, Now Stop !!!” Even as an AL student I dared not.
Mercifully he did hear the bell at the end of the interval. I used to say, “Sir the interval is over and I’m not allowed to go to the tuck shop. The prefects will pull me up”.
Back came the reply, “Follow me Putha. I am the Principal“. And so I trotted behind him to the tuck shop.The prefects, obnoxious as they were, took great delight in pulling me up. I had the perfect cover. Cockily I would say – “Ask the Principal“. They dared not.
Assemblies and Pronunciation
Shelton Wirasinha was particular about his pronunciation which went beyond being meticulous. His articulation was perfect and he made the correct stress on the correct vowel, the correct syllable. Pronouncing the ‘V’ and ‘W’ were important to him. Listening to him talk was like listening to a surgeon’s scalpel sliding through a slab of frozen butter … you the reader can figure that out!
With him on stage at Assembly, we knew we were in for a treat. He was a grand raconteur, a story teller with a storehouse of stories and tales. He fired our imagination and there were lessons to be learnt
Spelling W-i-r-a-s-i-n-h-a
Shelton Wirasinha was neither fussy nor demanding but there was one thing that irked him a lot and that was when his name was mis-spelt. He would actually get very, very cross. It had to be spelt as W-I-R-A-S-I-N-H-A.
Golden Era of Culture and the Arts
Shelton Wirasinha’s era at Wesley was also the Golden Era of Culture and the Arts. During his time, on the staff were great names such as Jayantha Premachandra the international award-winning artist, Basil Mihiripenne the celebrated oriental dancer and sitarist, Felix Premawardena the dramatist and actor, and, Haig Karunaratne the dramatist and choir master par excellence. They were the Stars of Wesley.
Prize Day – Founder’s Day
He was very fastidious and paid great attention to detail. Everything had to be perfect. He chose the music with great care. There were two hymns which were close to his heart. One was “I vow to Thee my Country” which he played on every Founder’s Day morning as the procession of flags entered the Hall to begin the service. The other was “Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah“
Putha
The dusky damsel who inhabited Karlsruhe House, Dushy Wirasinha, his daughter, must have been a lucky young lady. She had hundreds of brothers and they were all Wesleyites. He called us ‘Putha’. He knew a large, large number of boys by their first names. It was an individual bond he created with all of us. His simplicity and modesty earned for him the love and respect of his students.
Gladys Manel Dunuwille
To write of Shelton Wirasinha is also to write of his wife Gladys Manel Dunwille, one of the five extremely talented Dunuwille girls.
If Shelton Wirasinha was the Bard of the Wesley Manor, then Manel was the Empress of Karlsruhe. The bungalow and the lawn were her realm, and there she reigned supreme in all her glory. She made it her personal vocation to maintain Karlsruhe House like a jewel. Karlsruhe, this heritage building, meaning Charles Rest in German, is the Jewel in Wesley’s Crown.
An interesting feature in the house is the historic satinwood screen with a background in the traditional acanthus pattern separating the drawing room from the dining room. The letter ‘L’ for Lorenz appears in one of the panels, while the other panel bears the letter ‘K’ for Karlsruhe.
Generations of boys knew those polished verandah floors where one could literally see one’s face. We weren’t allowed to walk on those polished floors. Those who had to, had also to remove their shoes. Even Shelton Wirasinha!
The day before Prize Day, it was a treat to see the trophies and cups and shields all polished and gleaming on the verandah.
The Bungalow was a veritable cultural oasis. Shelton, Manel and Dushy their daughter shared in their love for music. Mrs. Wirasinha was a double gold medallist of both the Royal and Trinity Schools of Music London. Dushy also played the piano. And so that old Marshall and Rose piano made beautiful music, it sang. It sang happily, it sang dolefully, it sang in different moods and genres.
And the music of the masters – Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Debussy, Bach, Haydn – literally poured out of the Bungalow, over the verandah, across the drive and into Wesley College. To those of us who appreciated it – it was bliss.
Post Wesley College
Shelton Wirasinha served Wesley from 1961 to 1983 and then it was time to go. They had to leave the majestic Karlsruhe House. They moved to Nawala, to a much smaller house than Karslruhe but they were comfortable there. We were then delighted to see him on television as Quiz Master of the Dulux Do You Know Competitions.
I visited him often during that period. I was then an undergraduate at the University of Kelaniya, reading English and French for a Hons. Degree. Just like it was at Wesley, his library was still open to me.
As I lay dying
The very last time I visited him was one week before his death in November 1985. He had had hepatitis and was on slow road to recovery. I found him reading a book called ‘As I Lay Dying’, a 1930 novel by the American author William Faulkner. Whether this was a premonition or not, I don’t know.
He told me, “Putha get this book from the American Centre and read it. They have extra copies“. I borrowed the book the very next morning, hoping to read it that night. That evening, 13th November 1985, I learnt that he was dead, eleven days before his 62nd birthday. I did not open that book. Even to this day I have not read it.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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